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Recent Reviews

Conner
Featured review

What is your overall opinion of this school?

I didn't visit CalArts before being accepted and going, which is on me. I can only vouch for the graduate program. There were...

What is your overall opinion of this school?

I didn't visit CalArts before being accepted and going, which is on me. I can only vouch for the graduate program. There were only two dorms on campus when I attended. One for grad students and one for undergrad. I loved most of my roommates, but sharing a single bathroom and kitchen with five other people was a bit problematic at times. I also didn't have a car and this school is in a remote location. Valencia isn't really a walking city, but I made do with daily trips to Ralph's. The other students in my program were awesome and the small class size made it possible to really interact. Loved the Thursday night parties, the Halloween party (legendary), CalArts Bob, and the Erotic Masquerade Ball. Did way too many drugs. Met a lot of really interesting people. The big question I continue to ask myself after all these years, was it worth the cost? And I'm still not sure. It's a very expensive school and chances of getting a scholarship are slim to none. That's the only thing. If I was given a chance to do it again and still pay the same amount of money and still have this much debt a decade out of school, I don't think I would do it. That's just me. Getting a job as a writer, actor, painter, whatever, is tough. Having to pay down debt while you do that just adds more pressure. Also, I hated my mentor. We didn't get along from the start and that was a problem. And the school offered little to no help with job placement or guidance after graduation. Still, it was a good time while it lasted.

The teachers truly care about you as an individual artist and help you to find/develop your own creative processes. They see ...

What is your overall opinion of this school?

The teachers truly care about you as an individual artist and help you to find/develop your own creative processes. They see students as equals rather than a means to a paycheck. Students on campus are all incredibly talented and passionate individuals and are open to conversation of any kind. I'm giving an overall 4/5 stars simply because there is always room for improvement!

Calarts is a place for serious artists. The overall structure of the academic system is very loose so it can be very easy to...

What is your overall opinion of this school?

Calarts is a place for serious artists. The overall structure of the academic system is very loose so it can be very easy to lose focus if you're not careful. Overall I think this is the best art institution out there. All of the students are hardworking and the professors are super helpful.

California Institute of the Arts is an all arts college. It offers instruction in Critical Studies, Art, Music, Film/Video and Theater. My passion is dance. I have been dancing for at least ten years in a San Francisco dance school. The Calarts dance program is amazing because I will have the opportunity to work with faculty members who are choreographers. I will be able to develop and further explore all types of dance and strengthen my skills for at least 10 hours per week. I will also perform in front of audiences and learn the backstage technical aspects.

If I could go back to highschool as a Senior I would plan better, address my weaknesses, and balance my passion for dance with schoolwork. Planning would have helped me avoid procrastination. I would learn to set reminders with a schedule to help me stay organized in order to complete tasks. Doing this would allow time for breaks and fun activities. Recognizing my challenges with math and writing would have helped me improve those skills. I would find tutoring and take advantage of the teacher’s office hours. I would learn to write more specifically and avoid generalizing. Recognizing my passion for dance, I would have used my free time better. Instead of playing with social media, I would have concentrated more on schoolwork so that I would not have fallen behind. I have been dancing for at least 10 years--bollywood, african, tap, jazz, contemporary and ballet. Dancing has been my major outlet to express myself and strengthen my confidence. Having performed in over ten shows and knowing what it takes to prepare for a show I would advise the need to plan, the need for specifics and the passion as part of making the transition to college life.

Having already lived through everything that you are about to, I know that for the most part your head is in the right place. The idea to go to community college because it’s cheaper and leaves room for experimentation, to continue living at home and working while you have that luxury, and to begin building steps toward what you’re currently passionate about are all things that you and I continue to pungently believe in. With that said, there are still some things that I’d like to advise. First, take the bus, and pay off those loans as you go. Debt is discouraging, and at that point in your life using your money to pay loans is of the utmost importance. Also, don’t look at core classes as something to just get done, but find something in them to put towards your passions. Doing this will make the work easier and more rewarding. Most importantly, always let love and passion fuel your advances. I won’t spoil anything for you, but trust me on this. Pursue what fills you with life, and it will lead you to truly living.

College has been an unique thing for me as a person even though i only have attended a summer course at a local college it just feels as if a chance if you hadn't had one to turn your life around and make more of yourself education wise and gives you more insight on the world and also gets you more prepared for success in this world. Being from a city where alot of kids dropout and or dont go on to the next level of high school because most dont have that type of work ethic and its just a fad for otheres i have stood up and decided to do more with myself as a person being a leader and not following fellow peers to make the best of myself so 5 years from now i will be able to look back at this moment of goin to school and say im glad i made that decision rather than being another statistic as being a young african american male either dead or in jail or struggling to make a living to provide for my daughter and thats also another reason why college so valuable God Bless.

To be able to meet people from different majors and be able to go to different performances, events, and visiting artists lectures that inspire and motivate. Also, you come across people that really affect you creatively and you build a lot of relationships and connections that are valuable to your future career. Cal Arts has a different vibe than other schools-- it is an extremely liberal school (no censorship policy) that nurtures everyones creativity in every angle. Everyone is very friendly, extrenely talented, and unique or different. By the 1st day of school, I felt right at home and it just felt right. Having one huge buliding as the school campus allows mingling among different majors and it's easy to do collaborative work. Every Thursday there is a gallery opening where people can view artists' works and socialize. I can't imagine going to any other school than Cal Arts-- it fits me 100%.

Since the entire campus is in one building, it's hard to get enough sunlight when you're in an intensive and rigorous major such as character animation and graphic design.
Another would be the foods at the cafe. Although there are some variations in menu, they use the same ingredients, so it feels like you eat the same foods after a while.

College is an ironic, invaluable experience. Einstein Believed that school destroys a student's natural curiosity and I agree. I remember being mad about restricting my life to school and work. What about that wonderful balance that Maslow made so much emphasis on? I remember being mad about having having to read wonderful literature from Dante, Sophocles, etc. because I did not have time to enjoy it, because I was only preparing for a test.
It is true that school destroys our natural curiosity because not only does it limit us to what it teaches, but it makes us hate knoweldge because of all the rules that are associated with it in college. Schools' rules are a negative reinforcement that makes us believe unconcsiously that there is a direct correlation between knowledge and negative experiences. However, If we are open minded, we can forget for a minute about society, and focus on what we want to learn! Be it science, literature, physics, philosophy or business. The possibilities are limitless!
Because of college I am a more literate person who appreciates life in a new, very special way. I know now that I can be whoever I choose to be!

In my humble opinion, CalArts creates to most effective environment for an artist to thoroughly explore his or her craft, while gaining a balanced general education designed specifically to fit the artist's creative needs.

I believe that the college experience is the most important, profound, inspiring and exciting adventure that one can embark upon in hs or her lifetime. There is no greater opportunity for self-improvement, professional networking or building lifelong friendships. In fact, my oldest and dearest friends are those that I met while I was training to become an actor at CalArts. Those bonds of friendship that I formed were the basis for an education that endured long after I graduated. When one engages in a higher education, it is the beginning of a personal evolutionary process, which, in my case is continuing to this very day. The process that I speak of is the process of seeking the truth of oneself. When one understands the self, one is illuminated to the limitless potential that exists within oneself and all living beings.
My mentor, Dr. Daisaku Ikeda states, "Victor Hugo wrote that those who open schools close down the prisions. This is his way of expressing symbolically the significance of education. The opening of schools sheds the light of humanity on society and does away the need for prisions, which symbolize darkness."

Calarts is a exhausting and exilerationg school to take part in because of it's rigorous training and refinement in art programs and it's obvious passion not only for art, but to help others see how art can effect lives.

If I could go back with some advice to myself as a senior to help me better adapt to college life, it would be a pretty basic concept, which for some reason, is a very hard one to grasp: procrastination, and taking initiative. Even in the first few months of college, I?ve had many opportunities where if I had taken initiative earlier, I would?ve been much better off, such as losing a credit for being too scared to turn in a late essay and others where if I didn?t take initiative I would have been much worse off. These are skills I believe need both in high school, college, and is applicable all throughout life as a successful, responsible adult. If only I could go back to myself as a senior in high school, after the initial shock and explanation of why I came back in time, I would grab myself by the shoulders and I would say ?Senior Jenny, learn this now! Why learn in a year for 40,000 dollars, what you could learn now for free!?

To me the worst thing about my school is also a very charming and interesting part about it. I would say it's the lack of online savvy, we still register by standing in lines at tables and racing to get our classes. It's frustrating and very stressful sometimes, but it's also keeps part of the older fashioned atmosphere that the school was built on.

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